UFC's Forrest Griffin targets late 2013 for return

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin is targeting the second half of the year for his return from an injured knee.

Griffin (19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) hasn’t fought since a decision victory over Tito Ortiz back in July. He was scheduled to fight Phil Davis in December at UFC 155 but ultimately pulled out of the bout due to an MCL tear and ACL strain, UFC President Dana White announced at the time.

Griffin ultimately underwent surgery in early December.

“Dr said my knee is doing great ill be able to go in 6-7 months,” Griffin tweeted on Monday. “We must have different Definitions of the word great.”

Prior to the injury, the 33-year-old was on a 3-1 run that included a pair of wins over Ortiz, a decision victory over Rich Franklin, and a knockout loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. However, “The Ultimate Fighter 1″ winner, who had a brief title run in 2008, has registered just four fights in the past 40 months due to an assortment of injuries.

With his current recovery timetable, he’ll likely go a year between fights for the second time in his career.

For more on the upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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